| Prince Alexander | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Prince Alexander, c. 1880 | |||||
| Born | (1820-06-21)21 June 1820 Berlin,Kingdom of Prussia | ||||
| Died | 4 January 1896(1896-01-04) (aged 75) Berlin,Kingdom of Prussia,German Empire | ||||
| |||||
| House | Hohenzollern | ||||
| Father | Prince Frederick of Prussia | ||||
| Mother | Princess Luise of Anhalt-Bernburg | ||||
Prince Friedrich Wilhelm LudwigAlexander of Prussia (21 June 1820 – 4 January 1896) was the eldest child ofPrince Frederick of Prussia and his wife,Princess Luise of Anhalt-Bernburg.[1][2]
Alexander joined the army at a young age, and was attached to the headquarters ofCrown Prince Frederick William during theAustro-Prussian War.[3] During the morning of the decisivebattle of Königgrätz, a humorous account recounted that while on his horse, it ran away; Alexander was found later in the afternoon seated on the horse in a neighboring wood, stating that his horse had insisted on going there.[4]
He served as a general of infantry in the Prussian army. He was also a chief of the Third West Infantry Regiment and chief of the Second Regiment of Grenadiers of the Guard in the Landwehr.[2]
In 1891, Alexander ended hiscure atMarienbad and embarked forOstend for three to four weeks.[5]
A contemporary figure once recounted that:
"The charitable disposition of Prince Alexander of Prussia, the Emperor's cousin... is so well-known and often so appealed to inBerlin, that his secretary must have acquired great experience in answering begging questions. He passes the greater part of the year inSwitzerland and atBurg Rheinstein, his castle on the Rhine".[6]
Traveling in Switzerland, Alexander liked to stay under the titleCount de Tecklenburg.[7] He was described as an "extraordinarypedestrian", because he "accomplished in twelve hours what the best walker in the valley takes sixteen hours to perform".[7] In November 1852, Alexander went to visit his very ill friend theDuchess of Orleans at her estate atLausanne, Switzerland, though she survived for six more years.[8]
In late December 1895, Alexander was reported to be "critically ill".[9] He died at a quarter to eleven on 4 January 1896 after ailing for some time.[1][2][10] TheEmperor andEmpress were at his bedside when he died.[10] On 9 January, Alexander's funeral was held in a Berlin cathedral.[11] Members of the Imperial court attended, including the Emperor and Empress,Dowager Empress Frederick, as well as members of the diplomatic corps and the Bundesrat, and a number of generals from the Germany army.[11] His death sent the Berlin court into mourning for a month, causing the planned season's functions and court festivities to be altered.[12][13] Hunting excursions prearranged for the month were also canceled.[13] Some of the members of his entourage received quite substantial legacies, but the rest of his estate passed to his younger brotherPrince George of Prussia, and after his death, to Alexander'sgodchildPrince Oskar of Prussia.[14]
Much was written about Alexander's supposedly promiscuous ways. In her 1915 workMemories of forty years,Catherine Radziwill recalled that:
"[Prince Alexander], though none too intelligent, was extremely fond of society, feminine society in particular. I remember that one day, at my mother-in-law's house, he managed to decoy into an empty room a certain Madame von Wildenbruch, the wife of an illegitimate son ofPrince Louis Ferdinand of Prussia, and began kissing her with fervour, to the extreme stupefaction and anger of the lady in question, who, it must be added, was at that time nearly seventy years of age".[15]
Despite never marrying, another source said Alexander declared marriage to every woman he met, "no matter if she be princess or laundress,octogenarian or young girl, married or single".[4]
He received the following orders and decorations:[16]
Kingdom of Prussia:
Ascanian duchies: Grand Cross of theOrder of Albert the Bear,27 June 1865'[19]
Baden:[20]
Kingdom of Bavaria:Knight of St. Hubert,1860[21]
Belgium: Grand Cordon of theOrder of Leopold (military),25 April 1867[22]
Ernestine duchies: Grand Cross of theSaxe-Ernestine House Order,1859[23]
Kingdom of Hanover: Grand Cross of theRoyal Guelphic Order,1847[24]
Grand Duchy of Hesse: Grand Cross of theLudwig Order,24 May 1888[25]
Hohenzollern: Cross of Honour of thePrincely House Order of Hohenzollern, 1st Class with Swords
Mecklenburg:Grand Cross of the Wendish Crown, with Crown in Ore
Oldenburg:Grand Cross of the Order of Duke Peter Friedrich Ludwig, with Golden Crown,18 February 1878;[26] with Collar
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prince alexander of prussia.
